


When Biotics Flare

by GhostxofxArtemis



Series: Alexandra Shepard [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Post-Reaper War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:01:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostxofxArtemis/pseuds/GhostxofxArtemis
Summary: It was suppose to be a simple family game night aboard the Normandy, what could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Male Shepard/Ashley Williams
Series: Alexandra Shepard [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013490
Kudos: 3





	1. Checkmate

**Author's Note:**

> Just a background story for Alexandra Shepard.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thursday nights on the Normandy were game nights for John, Alex, Kaidan and Traynor. Some nights were rowdier than others, but this night turns out to be a quite different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just made small edits, hardly noticeable, just so this story flows a bit better with a few in the works...

“Check mate!” Nine year old Kaidan squealed, as he just won the round. His father mentored him at chess. They were playing against his sister, Alex and her mentor Traynor. Alex’s eyes narrowed as she glared at her brother. She hated losing against him. Her glare darted up to her father who was grinning, _is he gloating?!_ That just made her even angrier. The _girls teams,_ as thirteen year old Alex called it, hardly ever lost, and losing to her younger brother was the worst feeling ever. 

Losing her temper, she unknowingly drew in dark energy. She flared blue as she lifted her hand to knock down her Queen on the chessboard, but instead a biotic blast came shooting out of her hand sending the chessboard and all the pieces flying everywhere in the Starboard Observation Room - _now converted into the kids room_. 

John’s grin faded and turned into a frown, he squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath trying to suppress the emotions that were coming up. He wasn’t upset that his daughter’s biotic's manifested. That wasn’t an issue at all, in fact he and Ashley expected it, it was only a matter of time. When they learned Ashley had been exposed to eezo on a mission and that Alex’s development could end up bad, they had been very anxious. As the months went on and Ashley’s pregnancy progressed, Dr. Chakwas kept an ever watchful eye on Alex’s development. She had told them she would be fine, but to expect a high possibility that their daughter would be a biotic. This was the best outcome they could ask for, and they had been relieved. It never bothered them that she may end up a biotic, they’d love her and treasure her no matter what, biotic or not, handicapped or not. The fact that John was even alive for him and Ashley to even have kids was a miracle on it’s own. That's if their suspicions were wrong and she hadn't been indeed conceived the night before they took down Chronos Station before hitting the reapers on Earth as they suspected. She was a big deal for the both of them. Instead, he dreaded what he would have to do: drop her off at Grissom Academy. He knew doing so would hurt Alex beyond words. He knew how she felt. Which only pained him that much more.

John opened his eyes and his eyes met Traynor’s whose expression mirrored his own. The crew had grown attached to the children, having them around the ship brought lots joy and laughter: they were such a gem. The crew considered the kids as their niece and nephew, and they also liked to spend time with the kids when they were off duty. So knowing that Shepard and Ashley will have to take Alex away, pained Traynor. _Game night just won’t be the same anymore._

“You’re mean Kai!” Alex's blue aura faded and she crossed her arms and pouted. 

“Stop being such a sore loser! It’s just a game! You’re not always going to be the winner, you know!” He nudged his fist against her shoulder.

“Stop!” she attempted to swat him but he pulled his fist away before she could hit him.

“Kids, that’s enough. It’s time for bed” John’s voice was calm but commanding, yet there was a hint of sadness behind it.

“Will you read us a bedtime story, dad?” Kaidan asked as he climbed the ladder to his top bunk. John stood up from his seat and walked up to the bunk bed, while Traynor gathered the chessboard and all the chess pieces. 

_I have to tell your mother what just occurred here tonight and email Kahlee Sanders about dropping off Alex at Grissom Academy_ , _so no. No bedtime story tonight. Sorry son,_ is what he wanted to say, but instead told Kaidan: “Not tonight, son. I have a lot of work to do.” 

“Awwww, poop” Kaidan pouted as he slid between the sheets. John kissed his son's forehead and grabbed his son’s Blasto plush toy from the foot of the bed and gave it to him. Kaidan grabbed it and cradled it against his chest. _Why did he have to be Blasto?_

Alex, now sitting on her bed, arms wrapped around her legs and forehead against her knees, chewed on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying. John bent down on one knee so that he could be at eye level with her. “You’re mad at me,” it wasn’t a question so much as a statement. 

“Alex, look at me baby,” John told her, he waited for her to look at him before he continued. “I’m not mad at you. Not at all,” he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently to comfort her. 

“But I’m a freak! And I just blasted the chessboard!” her eyes began to blur as she tried to hold back her tears. Traynor, having gathered the chessboard and all the pieces, placed it on a coffee table and left the room.

John moved to sit on Alex’s bed and snaked his arm around her pulling her tight against his body, her head on his chest. He rubbed her back, as her tears started spilling and her body shaked. “You’re not a freak, Alex. These things happen. There are many more people out there, who are like you, they also have biotic abilities. You’re still going to live a normal life. Everyone is still going to love you, this won’t change that. No one will think differently of you. What just happened was not your fault. An accident, something out of your control. It’s how all biotics learn their biotic's, they all have accidents. You’re still my Alex, just with more bite now.” He felt Alex giggle and lift her hand to wipe her tears away. “Come on honey, it’s time for bed,” he patted her back as he pulled away. Alex slid between her sheets and grabbed her plush toy of uncle Garrus and hugged it close. She always remembered when he had given it to her: _For you Alex, so I’m always there with you even when I’m not. Uncle Garrus will always watch over you_. 

"Dad?" Alex whispered.

"Yeah?" 

"I love you," she mumbled against her plush toy.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

John leaned forward and kissed her forehead before he stood up and made his way to the door. “Goodnight kids. Sleep tight”.

“Goodnight dad!” Alex and Kaidan said in unison.

“EDI,” John called out to the intercom. 

_“Yes, Shepard?”_

“Turn the lights off in the Starboard Observation”

 _“Of course Shepard,”_ the lights went off as John walked out the room, activating his omni-tool and sending off the email he had already drafted, in case this happened, to Kahlee Sanders. _So much for game night._

  
  


~n~

Ashley was already in bed and was reading a novel on her datapad. Her sister Sara had recommended the book and she was just now finding some spare time to dive into it when John entered the room. 

She looked up from the datapad “oof, it’s like a blast of cold air just blew in,” she teased when she sensed he was a little tense.

He ignored her comment for the moment and made his way down the stairs unbuckling his belt from his fatigues and pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it on the couch. He sat on the couch to take his boots and socks off and then stood up to take his pants and underwear off, also tossing those on the couch. He wasn’t in the mood to take the time to fold them neatly tonight. All the while feeling Ashley’s curious gaze on him, following his movements. He crossed the rest of the floor and slipped between the sheets, he let himself fall backwards onto the mattress and placed both hands behind his head, sighed and turned his head slightly to the left to look at Ashley. “Alex’s biotic's just manifested.”

“Oh, that explains everything,” she paused for a moment, eyes going wide as realization of what he just said clicked in, before adding, “that means…”

“Yeah,” John sighed, moving his head to look up and he looked out the viewing windows, watching the stars. 

“This is going to be hard on everyone, especially Alex,” Ashley said as she turned off her datapad and placed it on her bedside table before sliding herself down lower in the bed and placing an arm and her head on her husband’s chest, sliding her left leg between his seeking his warmth. John snaked his left arm around her and started rubbing her back. “I know, and she's already taking this hard as it is. I’ve already sent the email to Kahlee.”

“How long before…” she started to ask but hesitated to finish.

“Until we arrived at Grissom Academy?” he finished for her. “Three days”. 

“I’m sorry,” there was so much she meant behind those two words. _I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I thought I was pregnant earlier, if I would have, you wouldn’t have taken me into that ship and I never would have been exposed to Eezo, and this probably would never have to happen. I’m sorry this is bringing up feelings of abandonment, caused by the death of your mother at such an early age, making you orphaned. I’m sorry this is bringing up feelings you’ve buried under there for so long. I’m sorry you feel as though you’re abandoning our baby girl.*_

“I know,” they fell silent, embracing each other, being each other’s comfort while silent tears fell streaking both their cheeks, as they drifted off to sleep. 


	2. Grissom Academy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ahh! The angst! It's a really short chapter, but I legit started crying while writing this chapter. I feel so bad for my Shepard’s! But it’s part of Alex’s background.

Ashley stood in the CIC, her arms wrapped around a hysterical Kaidan as he buried his face in her stomach, unable to control his crying. She chewed on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying as well, as they waited for John to come back up with Alex and some of her belongings for her stay at Grissom Academy. 

It had taken John a whole forty five minutes to try and reason with Alex, as he packed some of her clothes and some personal items the students were allowed to have -mostly books and video games for their omni tool or terminals they were all provided with in each boarding room- in a few duffle bags. While during all that time she had been throwing any objects she could find. She’d even thrown a couple of her and Kaidan’s laser tag guns with her biotic's at him yelling: “I hate you! You lied!”. That’s when he had about enough, this was already hard enough as is, but he knew he couldn’t lose his temper on her; it would only make the situation worse. He pinched the bridge of his nose and placed his free hand on hip, gritted his teeth. Taking a deep breath, he counting to twenty before exhaling, he was just as heart broken as she was right now. Eventually she acquiesced, lowering her head and her hair brushed her shoulder as it fell forward. She cried silently as her father hefted one of the duffle bags over his shoulder and held the other by the strap. He took her hand with his free one and guided her to the elevator and they went up a floor. 

The elevator opened up to the CIC, John stepped out gently pulling Alex along with him, she had her free arm around waist . His eyes met with Ashley’s and he could see the turmoil of emotions behind her eyes. He closed his eyes, took a deep, to hold back his emotions. As he opened his eyes, he looked around the room. Emotions ran high all around. Some crew members couldn’t look at his direction, he could tell they were doing their best to hold back their emotions as well. Others were red rimmed from their spilled tears. 

John walked past Ashley and Kaidan, moving towards the bridge. Ashley moved and Kaidan pulled aways from her but took one of her hands in hers as they followed close behind John and Alex. Approaching the hatch, John noticed Joker had his chair facing their way, eyes rimmed red and a glass of whiskey in one hand. He took a sip from his glass, but didn’t say anything. He was also taking this hard, he always enjoyed when Alex came to visit him on the bridge and banter with one another, or play some base turn strategy games with him.

John stepped out onto the docks as the hatch opened and led Alex to a waiting Kahlee Sanders and his friend Jack. He handed one duffle bag at a time to Jack while Kaidan bear hugged his sister for a few moments. 

“Don’t worry, Shepard. I’ll take care of her like she was my own, I promise. Man I can’t wait to teach her how to blow sh- stuff up! Can you imagine the havoc a Biotic Shepard could unleash?!” Jack grinned in amusement, but John was hardly amused. “Jack…” his voice was stern. 

“Oh lighten up, Shepard!” Jack punched his bicep.

Kaidan, still hugging his sister, pulled away and turned around and stepped behind his mother so she could bend down and embrace Alex in a tight hug, “I love you baby. You’re in good hands. You’ll be fine. We’ll come visit on visiting days, and before you know it the school year will be done and you’ll be back home.” She kissed Alex’s forehead before pulling away, standing up and taking Kaidan by the hand and led him back onto the ship. 

Alex didn’t wait for her father to hug her, she didn’t want to see him right, so she turned away. But before she could start walking away, he grabbed her wrist lately and spun her around to look at him. He bent down on one knee, she stood a little taller in this position. “Alex…” he said in a calm baritone voice, but she wanked her wrist free and balled her hands into tight fists “No! Don’t touch me! I hate you! I don’t want to talk to you ever again!” _It's your fault I'm here! You're the captain of the ship! You give the orders and you ordered Joker to drop me off here! You want to get rid of me!_ She wanted to say, but she choked, tears blurred her vision. But she didn't have to say it, he read it in her face. He lowered his head, trying to hid hide his pain from her. She was wrong, he loves her with all his heart and he would do anything for her, he'd die for any of them to save them; Ashley, Alex and Kaidan. She turned sharply on her heels and darted to the door that led through security before letting anyone in the heart of Grissom Academy. Jack gave a sympathetic look to John before she turned around and followed behind Alex. 

“A lot of the younger kids react like this on their very first drop off. The following years get easier, they start looking forward to coming back. She’ll come around, you’ll see,” Kahlee put a hand on John’s shoulder and gave him a sympathetic squeeze. “I’ll keep you updated on her progress,” and with that she followed behind Jack. 

John stood up, but his shoulders slumped forward, his lips pressed into a fine line. He retraced his steps back to the _Normandy_ , and his pace quickened when he entered the bridge. He could barely hold it anymore, head bent down he quickly, almost ran -not wanting any of the crew members to see him in his weakened state,- to the elevator and stepped inside pressing the button to the Captain’s cabin. Entering his cabin, he walked to the fish tank, placing his arm against the class and resting his forehead against his arm. It didn’t take long for the accelerating dampeners to kick in as Joker pulled the _Normandy_ out of dock and set on his course. That’s when he finally allowed the waterworks to flow freely. He turned around, his back against the tank now, and let himself slumped to the ground, placing his elbows and letting his fist support his head as he let himself cry. 

He didn’t know how long he’d been crying when the door to the Captain’s cabin opened and John looked up to look at Ashley. “Joker set a course to the Citadel, as we planned. I think everyone needs a couple days of break. I'm sure Garrus and Tali might come to check on us when we get home,” she said as she walked towards him, and went down on her knees in front of him. She placed her hands on his shins, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “Kaidan’s asleep. But I doubt it’ll be a restful one. Traynor said she’ll take Alex’s bunk tonight so he isn’t alone.” John nodded but said nothing. “Oh honey,” Ashley’s tone was empathetic, she was hurting too after all. Tears spilled from her eyes as she crawled between his legs, sliding her legs under his bent right knee, placing a hand and her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his nose in her head, letting his waterworks spill anew. 

**Author's Note:**

> *Ashley’s exposure to Eezo will be explained in my major story for Alex. I’m just writing dribbles right now of her pass. Also, John’s Earthborn background story will be a future project of mine (I already have ideas brainstormed, and I think it’s going to be a sad one). Oh! And Yeah! EDI was rebuilt ;)!
> 
> Updates are posted on Tumblr every so often: https://ghostxofxartemis.tumblr.com


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